James Gunn promised that his DC Universe (DCU) would be releasing different types of movies, similar to how some comics have very different styles despite being from the same publisher. He proved this by making Superman and Supergirl as regular superhero movies with a sci-fi twist and then following up with a straight-up horror movie, Clayface. Making Clayface was a huge risk, but Gunn was smart and kept the budget low so he could make sure that it made a profit as long as horror fans came out to see it, and it appears that will be the case. Its predicted worldwide opening weekend box office will beat out its budget, and by the time all is said and done, Clayfacewill be a success.
Videos by ComicBook.com
That brings up an interesting question. If Clayface is a big box office hit, could Gunn look to repeat the horror theme at DC for future Halloween seasons? If so, what characters could Gunn pull in to carry on Clayface’s new tradition and headline their own horror movies down the line?
5) Man-Bat
Man-Bat would make a great horror movie lead, but there is one thing that could hold it back somewhat. The last thing that the DCU wants is to have a movie that people compare to Morbius, the Spider-Man-adjacent Sony horror movie starring Jared Leto. That movie was more popular as a meme, and it flopped both at the box office and in the reviews from critics and audiences. That said, Man-Bat is very different, and as long as DC doesn’t try to bring in an actor like Leto to play the lead, it could work very well.
Man-Bat would be perfect in a story similar to The Wolf Man, with a good man who is turned into a monster, a tragic villain whose human counterpart would never commit the atrocities that his alter ego does. Man-Bat is Dr. Kirk Langstrom, and he is one Batman villain whom the Caped Crusader would rather save than lock away. The problem would be making him sympathetic, but seeing as how Clayface did so for much of the movie, it would be an even better horror story since Langstrom really never becomes a bad person himself.
4) Etrigan the Demon
There is an argument that Etrigan the Demon is not a villain, but then again neither was Venom, and his Marvel Sony movies painted him as a comic book film about a villain. Etrigan is, at best, an antihero, but he is not someone who really cares about the role of a hero, and he does what he does because it is his nature. DC Animation fans have met Etrigan, as he appeared in the Justice League Dark franchise, and he could be a perfect lead for a DC horror movie.
Etrigan the Demon is a demonic creature who ended up bonded with a human named Jason Blood. While not purely evil, he is a chaotic antihero who possesses demonic instincts, loves chaos, and causes pain and destruction. Honestly, Etrigan is a lot like Hellboy, but without a moral code. Jason is a master of the occult, so this could line up well. He usually points Etrigan in the direction of fighting evil, but since the demon is ruthless and cruel, often turning on his own allies, it could be a great horror story for DC to tell.
3) Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy is a tragic tale, and those are usually the best when trying to make the monster the sympathetic lead in a horror movie. Honestly, Solomon Grundy would be best in a movie similar to Frankenstein, where he is a monster who has no problem killing people who are trying to hurt him, but he is mostly someone who prefers to be left alone. He was previously Cyrus Gold, a murder victim brought back to life as a hulking zombie-like creature.
He is massively strong, and he has been shown to be able to fight Superman on a level playing field, so any movie with him as the lead would need to make some changes to make him a little more vulnerable. He has been shown in the comics to want to get away from fights, and even heroes like Batman, who bring down all villains, have been willing to let him go if they know Grundy will return to his swamp to hide. Having a movie where someone is trying to control and manipulate him could make for a great horror story, one where the viewers want to see Grundy break the spell and do the right thing.
2) Killer Croc
At one time, there was no reason to ever think that Killer Croc could ever make a great lead character in a horror movie. Yes, he would have been perfect as a villain in a horror movie, but for most of his existence, he was a cannibalistic monster with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. That has changed in recent years, and a perfect example came in the Absolute Batman comics, where Waylon Jones doesn’t want to be a monster, and in some cases, would rather die than hurt anyone else.
He was also shown in the first Suicide Squad movie, where he was given more of a personality and allowed the chance to shine. However, DC Comics has gone a long way to make him sympathetic recently as well, and he would make a perfect DC comic book monster who just wants to be left alone, but is forced to fight back when certain forces in society target him. Forget old-school Killer Croc. Make a movie about the more sympathetic recent version of the character.
1) Skinner Sweet
Skinner Sweet is not a character from the mainline DC Universe, but he is still one of the best DC villains ever created. He is from the Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque comic book series American Vampire, which starts off in the Wild West before moving through time to the Great Depression and beyond. Skinner Sweet was the first of the new species of vampires created in America when old-school vampires arrived from Europe. This gave him powers unlike the elders, and it made him a danger.
The story is also about an aspiring actress named Pearl Jones, who was attacked by a coven of European vampires living in Hollywood, only for Sweet to save her with his own blood, changing her into an American vampire as well. Sweet is the hero of the story until he turns Pearl, at which point she moves more into the lead role, but Skinner Sweet is not a good person in any manner. This story is so interesting, with the European vampires ruling America through Hollywood, the banking system, and more, and Sweet as a thorn in their side.
What comic book character do you think should lead DC’s next horror movie? Let us know your favorite DC horror characters in the comments below.
Poison Ivy Live-Action TV Series Coming to HBO But There’s a Major DCU Catch
More Comics
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics Comics
23 hours agoThis Deadly X-Men Villain Was Taken on the Greatest Redemption Arc of the Krakoa Era (and It’s a Path the MCU Could Take)
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Comics
1 day agoDC Comics Created the Best Version of the Fantastic Four (and DC Studios Could Bring It to HBO)
-
Collectibles
1 day agoA Misunderstanding About Wonder Woman Accidentally Created a Teen Titans Icon (And Confused DC for Years)
-
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Comics
2 days agoTim Drake Needs a New Identity, and Batman’s Greatest TV Show Might Have Already Given Us the Answer
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics DC
2 days agoThe King of Comics Designed DC’s Ultimate Villain to Be a Whole Lot Different, and He’s Changed for the Better
1 Comment
Pingback: Bill Nighy Has Joined Alfonso Cuarón's Increasingly Awesome - Comic Vibe